UPDATE: Pedrick Pond Park to re-open to the public following months of flooding

UPDATE JULY 17:

Leon County Commissioner David O'Keefe gave an update on the flooding situation at Pedrick Pond Park on X/Twitter, he wrote, "following several months of heavy rainfall and severe weather, we are happy to share that the trail at Pedrick Pond Park will be open to the public tomorrow, July 18, at dawn." See his post and related video below:

ORIGINAL STORY:

• Pedrick Pond Park has had water covering walking trails and boardwalks for over a month.
• It all happened after severe flash flooding in April.
• Watch the video to hear why that park holds so much water:

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Pedrick Pond Park is a place many neighbors turn to for some outdoor fun, but you may have noticed the water that’s gotten in the way of that.

Right now, many of the walking trails and board walks are closed because they are underwater.

Leon County spokesperson Mat Cavell said the park is not just for recreating. The pond here also serves as a storm water treatment system.

He said the pond fills up when we see heavy rainfall. It holds that flood water, preventing it from running through the neighborhood and into homes.

Homes like Jose Martinez’s.

He’s says he and his wife walk the trail often, but has never seen flooding like this.

“I’ve been here for 30 some years," Martinez said. "It’s the worst I’ve ever seen it.”

The pond was flooded in April after flash floods impacted many off of Mahan Drive.

He said he noticed the water go down a bit following the flood, but then rise shortly after.

He said he hopes the county is working to remove the water.

“That pump here for over a month and I have only seen it work one time so that concerns me that not enough is being done to drain the pond back down to where it should be," Martinez said.

Cavell told me the county is quote “working diligently to manage runoff following the bicentennial storm and flooding, May 10 tornadoes and consistent heavy rainfall this spring.”

Leon county leaders say the pond will continue to be pumped until those water levels go down.